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looking for help and guidance on next step
I am hoping you all will not only offer some help but also give me some hope. I was diagnosed 03/06 with stage iv er-/pr- her2+++ mets to the bone (about 5 locations). I went through 4 cycles (each cycle being 3 weeks on/1 week off) of Taxol/Carbo/Herceptin. After the first month, the breast mass was no longer palpable. At my 4 month follow up scan in August, all of my bone lesions were healed, there was no further disease. I was told that I had a complete response. Such great news. I was so happy. In September, I noticed some breast changes. My breast continued to get harder and although I knew in my heart that the cancer had returned, I denied it and assumed it was post chemo changes. We watched it with MRIs and ultrasounds, there was not a specific mass to biopsy but a large diffused area. I had another CT scan on Nov 4. It showed the bone lesions still only healed, no progression, some skin thickening in the breast and a small 2 mm nodule on my lung (another thing that I am freaked out about). My oncologists and I agreed that bilateral mastectomies would at least help me emotionally, by not having to continue the huge number of tests. The pathology came back today. There was a large approx 9 cm tumor removed, clear margins. I am devastated. I had so hoped that it was fibroids or something else benign. How could it come back so fast and so big? What do I do now? What are my options? Has Herceptin already failed? I am so sad and scared. I need more time with my children and husband and family. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Laura
diagnosed stage iv 3/06
mets to bone
T/C/H 4/06-8/06
complete remission
continue Herceptin every 3 weeks
11/06 bilateral mastecomy
?????
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